


The False Promise

by TwistedLight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Post-Canon, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-18 00:56:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13089075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedLight/pseuds/TwistedLight
Summary: A false promise hurts more than a broken one. Amidst the celebration a witch finds herself flustered and enraged. What will she do?





	The False Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Not an experiment this time, more a self-appointed test, this time a twoshot.

The sun was still shining brightly, bringing warmth even as the skies slowly turned pink, signaling the approach of the night. The grass was green, the birds were singing, a pleasant wind was spreading the promise of good times. However for one particular witch this was a false promise .

Hermione Granger was fuming. The giggling dunderheads were going to pay for what they've done.

_"Those bloody idiots! I told them in advance, I don't want to see **him** ever again! Yet here we are, look at him, right there, of all the people! I made it perfectly clear TO NOT let him near me! These two are so going to pay for that!"_

Hermione was pulled out of her plans for revenge by a gentle touch.

"What's wrong?" A calm voice dreamily sang. "You looked like you drank a bottle of Skele-Grow for a moment there... Are your bones okay now that you did? Hmmmm...May I have some too? I think my right elbow is not what it used to be..."

She turned to the person who now went on talking to her about their skeleton and sighed, huddling closer to them.

"Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all" she thought with a small smile, blushing as she did.

**The day before.**

It was a lazy late evening after a hard day for her, so Hermione was not surprised to find herself napping face down on her desk with a small puddle of drool marring her papers. With a quick _Evanesco_ the puddle was gone and another flick of the wand sent papers into the neat piles to the sides of the table. Just in time for Hermione to see the door to her office open wide. 

"Hullo, Hermione." The Saviour of the Wizarding world and current Head of the Aurors said with a yawn as he entered."You done for tonight?"

"Yeah, Harry," she mumbled, her mouth betraying her, infected by his yawn. She stretched in her seat to chase it away. "Just getting my bearings before I head home. You?" 

"Same here. Was just popping by to know if you got any grand plans tomorrow after the Ministry does its thing in the morning," he answered as he came close to her table and started poking at the papers.

 "Nothing much on my schedule," Hermione replied with an absentminded slap to keep the Potter palms away from the documents. "Planning to enjoy the rest of the day off after all the bollocky fuss with the festivities is done. Spend my day with Crookshanks, poor baby barely sees me these days. Will have a drink or two with a nice book and enjoy my well-deserved silence." She sighed dreamily as she imagined a lazy day away from the office for a change.

"Hey," Harry said with a wince, "Calling it a fuss is not fair to people who worked on it, you included. And spending the first big anniversary of the End alone with that mon...cat of yours? Don't you have better plans in mind?"

 "Nothing better than that in my books. A book and a cat for whole day. Some peace and quiet will do me good. I heartily recommend you try it even if I know you won't listen, " she said with a shake of her head. "Still, I'll humour you. I know you would not have come here without your own thing to look forward to. What are you planning to ruin my plans with, Mr.Potter?" - she questioned with a wry smile.

 Harry's own smile immediately appeared, broad and sincere. "Oh, you're going to love this. Come with us after the official part of the ceremony. We're gonna have a few yearmates, Gryffs and Puffs from other years, maybe McGonagall coming over for a BBQ in the Hogwarts' Quidditch pitch. It's gonna be great!"

"No doubt you think it is, Harry, but do you remember last time you planned something like that?" - the witch deadpanned.

"What do you mean?" - Harry innocently asked, scratching the back of his head.

"You know exactly what I mean you giant doofus. Don't even try to play innocent. And don't even try to lie when I ask about the booze, "- she sternly said as her eyes locked onto Harry's face again." You can't lie to me on that front, Potter, you know that." 

"Yeah, yeah," –  he grumbled with a wince. Hermione smirked as she saw Harry scratch his arm where a runic tattoo was burned into the skin."I know, no use hiding the flammables from the Lady Killjoy. Everything will be up front and accounted, I'll even make the list if you want. I'm not that dumb, 'Mione. I learn from my mistakes...most of the times."

"Good, Harry. I hardly believe that you do, but stilll good. Urgh, I still get a feeling I will have to go just to keep you out of trouble," - she said as she weakly plopped her head on the desk. "And I really don't want to portkey you out of Antarctica ever again, Harry, two times was enough." - she added with a muffled whine.

Harry could not care less about the tired voice of reason and decided to pester her further. Hermine never wished more for _Evanesco_ to work on people than she did at that moment, even if the annoyance in front of her kind of was her best friend.

"Come on! It's gonna be all in good fun!" - the big baby continued. "And hey, check it out. While I told you who's gonna be there, I forgot to mention Luna's coming too. She was really looking forward to it, especially when I told her you're coming." he added with a whisper and a smirk.

"!" - was Hermione's elaborate and witty answer. Then came a graceful attempt to get out of her table which ended up disbalancing her from her seat enough to make it rock dangerously. _"Uh-oh"_ went through Hermione's mind with a sharp click.

After a few undignified moments of flailing her hands to regain the balance the witch avoided falling with her chair. Finally Hermione got out of the table and faced the smiling scamp. Her mouth opened to say something, only for her to find out there were no words in Queen's English left. So she poked him with her wand instead.

"Ouch! What was that for, did I put a bee in your bonnet?" he laughed as his grin threatened to split his face apart.

"S-shut your bloody mouth, Harry Potter! You promised not to ever mention this to anyone and last time I checked I count as anyone as well!" - she finally hissed,poking the childish man again without mercy, chasing him in circles across the room.

"Mention what? I only said that Luna's going to come over for the bash, nothing else. It's you who got all worked up for no reason. I definitely was not going to mention that one time we all got drunk and pulled out the old mirror out the Room..." - the Chosen one kept laughing as he escaped the vicious assault.

"SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP YOU SLIMECHUGGING WHELP!" - Hermione cried out as she finally gathered enough of her composure for a spell. **_"Tarantallegra!"_**  

While normally such a spell was harmless, Hermione however realised the moment the spell left her wand that her cluttered office room they were in could be too dangerous. But just as the ** _"What was I thinking?!"_ ** echoed through her mind the man who dueled Voldemort and dodged bludgers for living sidestepped the jinx.

"Ooh, so you want to dance? Okay, but after you calm down." Then Harry's smirk faded as he noticed Hermione's expression, the mirth stepping down for apologetic concern. "Oi, are you alright? I'm sorry if I hit a nerve, Hermione. I did not mean to rile you up like that, just got caught up in the moment and..." 

 **"I'm so sorry Harry I didn't mean to hurt you but you kept being stupid oh gosh I could hurt you...** " - flew from her mouth the moment, her eyes already glistening with a threat of tears. All Hermione's rage was now drained, leaving her nothing to grab upon. The witch felt like her strings had been cut as she slumped onto the floor and covered her face.

"Whoa there! Careful!" Harry said as he came close,plopped himself near and gave a hug to his friend. "Hey, firstly, I am the one who should be sorry, okay? I did not know how would it affect you and it was stupid of me to even jab like that."

A muffled "Yes, yes it was" came from her as she was still clutching him in the embrace. 

"Secondly, I know what you're probably thinking. I mean, even I know common jinxes can be dangerous in such a mess of an office,  but come on, give me some credit here. I can probably dodge bullets at this point with my history," - he puffed confidently.

"Nah, you can't, Harry" - Hermione cut him off with a smile as she disengaged from the hug. "While I don't doubt you could if you saw or heard it coming,  unless you use magic to shorten the reaction lag from your senses or slow your perception of time you can't dodge a bullet. And before you ask, both methods are illegal for a reason. Let's just say after each of them your brain is better off having a bullet in it."

"See, that's why you're my best friend. Well, not only that of course. But still, every time I see you I learn something new and I won't get tired of telling you that ever," - Harry proclaimed, his face beaming with warmth and reassurance.

"I might get tired of learning about how stupid can you be, Potter" - Hermione drawled with a sigh, a small smile still ending up on her lips. "So no stupid escapades at the bash, okay?" 

Harry immediately perked up "You'll come? Really? After what I just said and did?"

"Of course I shall, Harry. Someone's gotta watch you and Ron besides Draco," - Hermione said with a facepalm. "Even he does not not deserve to deal with the booze-powered stunts of you two alone. Don't forget to say hi to him and by the way, when you see him, remind the ferret that he owes me something."

"Owes you what? He never told me anything about it" - Harry said warily. "I hope it's nothing that detracts him from tomorrow, I kinda need him there."

"Nothing you two would have missed, just his soul and your firstborn child, Harry." - Hermione deadpanned. "Now get out of here, I gotta lock this place and get myself home safely. See you tomorrow."

**The morning after.**

The official part of the First Five Years was done. Speeches were told, moments of silence passed, tears were shed. A solemn occasion, but hopeful nevertheless. Things were looking up for everyone and Hermione went away from the occasion with a small smile.

The witch did not want to admit it, but she kept counting the time left to the party Harry and Draco had planned. Hermione now realized the stress of late had gotten to her deeper than she thought, as shown by the little breakdown from Harry's (she had to admit it now) more or less innocent joke. "Crime and Punishment" , Cabernet and Crookshanks would have to wait. Hermione Granger needed a one hell of an evening to vent that stress away.

Good thing the pair got everyone covered in that regard. They always had the best celebrations, and went through quite a few this year, making a grand occasion of every friend's birthday or any holiday that would come to pass. Harry's unyielding desire to share the joy combined with Draco's impeccable taste and multiplied by their wealth created experiences one did not easily forget. Hermione wished they took a break from it sometimes though.

"It sure is nice of them to let people forget about everything and party hard, but by Merlin's whiskers, good things are good in moderation. At least Draco's smart enough to not need the Brand." - Hermione said to herself right after she apparated home. "This one seems mild enough too, I mean, a BBQ in the Hogwart's Pitch? Tame by their standards." 

Her thoughts returned to the pair. To think that former enemies would ever become such good friends?..lovers?..whatever they were now. In just three years too, and so far both seemed happy over the last two years. She heard from both that they were still getting to know each other properly and had disagreements major and minor, but nothing to split them apart so far. It baffled Hermione in a way, but the arrows of Cupid struck unexpected targets sometimes and as long as everyone was happy she would never judge. 

Besides that, everyone else around her paired off so fast, mostly just before the war ended and everyone tried to share their supposedly final moments.

 _"Take my short fling with Ron for example"_ \- she sighed to herself _. "See how well that one went. At least we're still friends and he seems happy enough with Lavender."_

There was simply nobody in sight to steal the heart of the smartest witch of the generation again, not with her workload.  Except possibly... No, these thoughts weren't appropriate just before the party and were put off in the box to mull over for later.

For now it was time to get from being presentable to being approachable. After taking a shower and choosing a light muggle attire(a coffee coloured jacket, a beige blouse and a scarlet silk skirt) Hermione went to the mirror to reappply her makeup.

"Oh, that one? My, aren't we feeling adventurous today?" the mirror said with a good-natured laugh after seeing the thing in the witch's hands.

"We indeed are, friend," Hermione answered after she was done with the lipstick that surprised the mirror. "Who knows what happens besides Harry getting in trouble again?" 

"Is that so... Well, godspeed then, Granger" - the reflection said with a confident smirk that Hermione promptly matched just before turning around and exiting the bathroom.

She was ready.

It was time to have fun.

**Author's Note:**

> "Evanesco" - spell that makes object of intent dissapear.  
> "Tarantallegra" - spell that makes victim dance uncontrollably.


End file.
